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First steps forward, solving issues rather than discovering them

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I have spent the week looking forward to getting back in the garage and getting on with the KLR and here we are. I start by rebuilding the carb which was very straight forward. I fit the carb and the kickstart. It was surprisingly tricky to get the carb lined up in both the rubber mounts but after a few attempts I got there. I turned on the fuel tap and petrol poured out of the bottom of the carb so I remove it and have a look at the valve at the bottom of the carb. I remove it and re-install it and then it seems okay. I am waiting for the drill bit to arrive and start getting distracted. I fit the oil filter and decide to use the original one which has never had oil through meaning that the engine hasn't worked since the last oil change. I decide to do this because I am going to drill the casing and cut a new thread for the sump plug so I will change the oil and filter very soon after I get it running in case I leave any swarf in there. The drill arrives and I coat it...
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I realise what I am dealing with,....

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When I take the cover for the oil filter off I discover one of the lugs is broken, I am not surprised.  It will work again so I forget about it. I then take the sump plug out and discover that the thing has been subjected to a repair with a helicoil kit which doesn't bother me too much as I use those kits so can hardly be grouchy if other people do. However, I see that it is hanging slightly proud of the hole and think that this is odd so I get a pair of pliers and realise that I can push and pull it in and out of the hole.  In other words, it is not properly seated.  I give it a gentle tug and it comes out.  Flippineck, who would put something like that in the sump plug?  I now think of everything that I have discovered and it dawns on me that the previous owner didn't have a clue.  I realise that I will need to take everything apart and check that it is okay.  I then get worried because the previous owner told me that he had done some work the engine...
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The bike arrives 26th September 2026

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 I borrow Rob's van, thank you Rob, and drive 130 miles into the Midlands to get the bike.  The seller was a nice chap who I liked instantly.  I liked the bike instantly as well.  I felt that if I could give it some TLC it should end up being a very nice bike. The seller tried to start it and at one point it fired but petrol was pouring out of the carb so I said I would take it as it was and that he should turn the petrol off.  I tried to pay for it but my bank wouldn't send the money without the bank card and car reader which was really annoying.  Fortunately, when I called Vic she answered and was able to send the money.   When I get home I discover that the front shocks have dumped a load of oil onto the floor of the van.  I don't spend a lot of time thinking about that beyond realising that I needed to do the oil seals on them. On the bike bench and ready for initial inspection and already leaking oil from the engine. So, I now know that I nee...
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The start of the Malle obsession.

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 9th May 2026, Margate in Kent.  Malle beach race. Mark invites me to ride to Margate and watch the 2026 beach race.  I wasn't keen, it felt like a knobby thing to do but I went.  I loved it.  I entered for the 2027 race at the first opportunity.  The only issue being that I didn't have a bike to do it on.  At the time I wasn't too bothered as I thought it would be easy to pick something up cheaply.  I soon realised that I was very wrong. I started saving and spent hours scouring the internet for a suitable but cheap bike and struggled to find anything that would work.  I wanted something that would be fast enough but not too fast and certainly not heavy.  I nearly bid on a Yamaha XT500 but it needed a lot of work and I was on holiday at the time therefore unable to go and collect it so I let it pass.  Then I saw a Kawasaki KLR600. The description started like this: For sale is my 1986 Kawasaki KLR 600 kickstart. I purchased the bik...
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